It's been a while since I wrote a review, mostly cause I haven't really picked up a new game at launch in a while. But I wanted to have my thoughts on paper (or rather, screen) since MvC is big with me and my friends.

Marvel vs. Capcom has always been a fighter series seperate from Street Fighter. SF has always been that, "serious fighter with a touch of quirkiness." MvC was the opposite, it took that professional fighter mentality and added a bunch of flair and fanservice. With a decade separating us with a new release, there is a sense of importance to make everyone happy. Whether this is your first time in the MvC universe or a life-time fan, you will be welcomed by this game the moment you turn it on.

Deadpool tries his best Shoryuken impression​

The game starts you with 32 characters with 4 to unlock through the arcade mode. Arcade mode is your standard 3-on-3 battles in impressive looking backdrops, albeit pseudo-cartoonish character models. If you're familiar with either the Street Fighter 4 battle system or at least Tatsunoko vs. Capcom one, you'll be in welcome territory. The game uses a re-vamped TvC fighting engine, with a few more bells and whistles to make everything seem new. Arcade mode is relatively short, and can be blown through on most difficulties, but it's Galactus as the final boss that really kicks things into overdrive, having you fight a shadow team and then the big guy himself. It really reminded me of Super Smash Brothers where you fight a metallic enemy and then Master Hand. It's not a bad thing, but the game doesn't have a story yet again, making it just a fighting game that relies heavily on great multiplayer matches between you and your friends or a stranger online.

When you're not fighting the computer through colorful backdrops and frighteningly fast combos, you can take on challenge mode, which is a glorified practice arena with objectives based on move-sets. There are about 12 for each character, so you'll be stuck in that for a while, even for the most seasoned veteran.

Online mode reflects SF4 a lot in the fact that you earn badges and the like. It's streamlined and so far hasn't lagged much, despite the fact the game is brand new.

X-23 is like a slower Wolverine, but still gets the job done.​

Another thing I almost forgot to mention was the fact that you earn Player Points. Now, I couldn't find any mention on what they are used for, the best answer I can give is it's tied directly to your rank, but I apologize if I'm wrong, there's no mention of what they are, nor is there a shop to spend them, so my mind is blank at the moment.

A re-cap real quick going over the finer points of the game:

As I said, the game does come with training wheels if this is your first time. Much like those who played Tatsunoko on the Wii recently, MvC plays very similar, stringing together combos and hyper finishes are a breeze--if you know how. There are two types of people who play this game: Fighter enthusiasts, who will memorize combos and [censored] online, and then there are those like myself, who button mash and do very well for themselves. Either way you play, unless you really are turned off by the nature of the game, should have a lot of fun with MvC3. With a great selection of characters, some making a return visit, and some new faces like Arthur from Ghosts and Ghouls and Amaterasu from Okami, there are hundreds of different team combos to choose from, and even a neat little reserve for quick team selection.

As you can see, the backgrounds look amazing.​

There's not much holding down this game other than the fact that people might be disappointed in the ending "movies", which is just a glorified comic book with text overlays. That and the online mode is a little lighter than it's fighting cousin, offering only player/ranked matches where the "winner stays" much like MvC2.

BOTTOM LINE: Capcom did a great job of finding a boatload of characters to whet the appetite of the seasoned MvC fan, but I've got to say, after 10 years you'd think that Capcom would include some more promise into the game other than Shuma-Gorath and Jill Valentine as it's initial DLC. There isn't as many to choose from as the last game, and for some reason they replaced Cammy with C.Viper (WTH!?) But the new additions like Deadpool and Dante are great, even if Wesker doesn't play as well as you'd think he does. Everyone has their own feeling in the game, and you'll quickly find your all-star team, although it's still fun to play around as everyone. As far as rent/buy, if you loved MvC either in arcades, or Dreamcast or even the XBLA/PSN, then this is a must buy. As long as you have a friend to play it, you'll probably never tire of it. If this is your first MvC, or even just dabbled in Street Fighter, it's worth a look, but a definite rent. You may be persuaded to buy it. It's a short game with a lack of an actual story, but the interactions and the stunning finishers is almost too great to pass up.

I'd like to add that another drag with the party matches online, that if you're not one of the two fighters, there is no spectating. This often leaves one or more people sitting there, blind. I'm baffled by this decision.

I've seen people wreck bitches as Wesker online if you learn how to use him right. It seems like every fighting game has that character that looks like he blows but if you're a master with him, then you just own.

The game's really good. It has pretty decent character balancing for a fighting game and odds are you can, with some practice, use your favorites to good success instead of being forced to use the typical overpowered characters. The balancing is much worse than it was in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom though, or so it seemed to me.

I wouldn't complain about the initial DLC, the game still ships with like, what, 34 completely different characters in the standard edition? Sure MvC2 had more characters but most of them were just reskins, pretty much the same as alternate colors.

Definitely a strong fighting game and even an amateur like me stood a chance against some seasoned fighting game players like my friends. Plus I was able to use my favorite (Dante), so I can't complain.

I played this for a few hours at my friends House. Loved every moment of! Though I ADORE Deadpool! "This is The Hyper Combo!", "YOU PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON!!!", and my current favorite of the lines I heard him say... "Hey! Yeah, you! I'm down here busting my ass while you sit on yours watching me jump around?! How is that fair?! "

I played this for a few hours at my friends House. Loved every moment of! Though I ADORE Deadpool! "This is The Hyper Combo!", "YOU PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON!!!", and my current favorite of the lines I heard him say... "Hey! Yeah, you! I'm down here busting my ass while you sit on yours watching me jump around?! How is that fair?! "

Nice review, but I would like to say that the only thing that bugs me is that so many people use the simple button method online and it does not tell you they are using it. Also talking about Deadpool, best quote ever I have found " I'm the ghost of Christmas kick your ass."